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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Paychex

    Score6.9 out of 10
    N/APaychex Flex, of Paychex' Online Payroll Services, is a cloud-based human resource management and payroll platform. Paychex offers core and specialized services, and scales to meet the needs of small businesses, SMBs, and large enterprises.N/A

    Payroll by Wave

    Score10 out of 10
    N/AWave Accounting headquartered in Toronto now offers Payroll by Wave, a payroll app for small businesses.N/A
    Pricing
    PaychexPayroll by Wave
    Editions & Modules
    Paychex Flex Pro
    Custom Pricing
    per month/+$4 per employee
    HR Pro
    Custom Pricing
    HR PEO
    Custom Pricing
    Paychex Flex Select
    Custom Pricing
    Paychex Flex Enterprise
    Custom Pricing
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    PaychexPayroll by Wave
    Free Trial
    NoNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeRequiredNo setup fee
    Additional Details
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    PaychexPayroll by Wave
    Considered Both Products
    Paychex Inc.
    No answer on this topic
    Wave
    Chose Payroll by Wave
    All the services we researched were quality options however given our size at the time I settled on Payroll by Wave apps based on cost and how easy it was to run Payroll.
    Incentivized
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    88%
    Would buy again
    267 Answers
    100%
    Would buy again
    5 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    90%
    Delivers good value for the price
    240 Answers
    100%
    Delivers good value for the price
    5 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    93%
    Happy with the feature set
    281 Answers
    100%
    Happy with the feature set
    5 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    89%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    202 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation went as expected
    89%
    Implementation went as expected
    216 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Features
    PaychexPayroll by Wave
    Human Resource Management
    Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Paychex and Payroll by Wave
    Feature
    Paychex
    7.3
    278 Ratings
    12% below category average
    Payroll by Wave
    -
    Ratings
    Employee demographic data7.7225 Ratings00 Ratings
    Employment history7.9248 Ratings00 Ratings
    Job profiles and administration7.7182 Ratings00 Ratings
    Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.7.8179 Ratings00 Ratings
    Organizational charting6.34 Ratings00 Ratings
    Organization and location management7.1163 Ratings00 Ratings
    Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)6.4148 Ratings00 Ratings
    Payroll Management
    Comparison of Payroll Management features of Paychex and Payroll by Wave
    Feature
    Paychex
    7.7
    319 Ratings
    6% below category average
    Payroll by Wave
    9.4
    5 Ratings
    13% above category average
    Pay calculation8.0301 Ratings10.05 Ratings
    Support for external payroll vendors7.44 Ratings9.03 Ratings
    Off-cycle/On-Demand payment7.4157 Ratings9.03 Ratings
    Benefit plan administration7.2179 Ratings9.01 Ratings
    Direct deposit files8.3299 Ratings9.05 Ratings
    Salary revision and increment management8.0214 Ratings9.55 Ratings
    Reimbursement management7.4122 Ratings10.02 Ratings
    Leave and Attendance Management
    Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Paychex and Payroll by Wave
    Feature
    Paychex
    7.2
    161 Ratings
    13% below category average
    Payroll by Wave
    -
    Ratings
    Approval workflow7.5115 Ratings00 Ratings
    Balance details7.6153 Ratings00 Ratings
    Annual carry-forward and encashment6.4120 Ratings00 Ratings
    Employee Self Service
    Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Paychex and Payroll by Wave
    Feature
    Paychex
    7.4
    276 Ratings
    11% below category average
    Payroll by Wave
    -
    Ratings
    View and generate pay and benefit information8.0254 Ratings00 Ratings
    Update personal information7.6266 Ratings00 Ratings
    View company policy documentation7.4125 Ratings00 Ratings
    Employee recognition6.33 Ratings00 Ratings
    View job history7.6190 Ratings00 Ratings
    Asset Management
    Comparison of Asset Management features of Paychex and Payroll by Wave
    Feature
    Paychex
    6.3
    44 Ratings
    24% below category average
    Payroll by Wave
    -
    Ratings
    Tracking of all physical assets6.344 Ratings00 Ratings
    HR Reporting
    Comparison of HR Reporting features of Paychex and Payroll by Wave
    Feature
    Paychex
    6.1
    179 Ratings
    22% below category average
    Payroll by Wave
    -
    Ratings
    Report builder6.5149 Ratings00 Ratings
    Pre-built reports6.8167 Ratings00 Ratings
    Ability to combine HR data with external data5.093 Ratings00 Ratings
    Onboarding
    Comparison of Onboarding features of Paychex and Payroll by Wave
    Feature
    Paychex
    6.8
    176 Ratings
    17% below category average
    Payroll by Wave
    -
    Ratings
    New hire portal7.0168 Ratings00 Ratings
    Manager tracking tools6.7112 Ratings00 Ratings
    Performance and Goals
    Comparison of Performance and Goals features of Paychex and Payroll by Wave
    Feature
    Paychex
    9.0
    1 Ratings
    10% above category average
    Payroll by Wave
    -
    Ratings
    Corporate goal setting8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Individual goal setting9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Line-of sight-visibility9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Performance tracking10.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Performance Management
    Comparison of Performance Management features of Paychex and Payroll by Wave
    Feature
    Paychex
    9.0
    1 Ratings
    12% above category average
    Payroll by Wave
    -
    Ratings
    Performance plans9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Performance improvement plans9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Review status tracking9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Review reminders9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Multiple review frequency9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Succession Planning
    Comparison of Succession Planning features of Paychex and Payroll by Wave
    Feature
    Paychex
    7.7
    2 Ratings
    2% below category average
    Payroll by Wave
    -
    Ratings
    Candidate ranking7.31 Ratings00 Ratings
    Candidate search7.52 Ratings00 Ratings
    Candidate development8.21 Ratings00 Ratings
    Recruiting / ATS
    Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Paychex and Payroll by Wave
    Feature
    Paychex
    5.3
    72 Ratings
    40% below category average
    Payroll by Wave
    -
    Ratings
    Job Requisition Management5.138 Ratings00 Ratings
    Company Website Posting5.235 Ratings00 Ratings
    Publish to Social Media5.729 Ratings00 Ratings
    Job Search Site Posting6.037 Ratings00 Ratings
    Duplicate Candidate Prevention4.635 Ratings00 Ratings
    Applicant Tracking4.741 Ratings00 Ratings
    Notifications and Alerts6.266 Ratings00 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    PaychexPayroll by Wave
    Small Businesses
    UZIO
    Score9.4 out of 10
    Patriot Payroll
    Score8.6 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Zoho People
    Score8.6 out of 10
    APS
    Score5.7 out of 10
    Enterprises
    PeopleStrong
    Score10 out of 10
    ADP Streamline Payroll
    Score6.1 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    PaychexPayroll by Wave
    Likelihood to Recommend
    6.8
    (334 ratings)
    10.0
    (6 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    7.2
    (48 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Usability
    7.2
    (275 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Availability
    5.2
    (12 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Performance
    7.0
    (12 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Support Rating
    6.5
    (274 ratings)
    8.9
    (2 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    4.5
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Online Training
    2.7
    (4 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    5.1
    (13 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Configurability
    5.0
    (9 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    9.1
    (3 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    5.4
    (12 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    5.7
    (34 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    6.2
    (35 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    PaychexPayroll by Wave
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Paychex Inc.
    It is best suited for payrolls from 1 to 150 employees, because their constant attention and flex system are easy to use. Any problem is taking care by your Paychex Agent, and they always listen to you. Better yet, when you become a client with more than 5 years, you get special discount on your renewal. Honestly, I can't not think on nothing that will be less appropriate.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Wave
    Great for small business payroll needs. Reports and taxes are taken care of, everything is automated and once you're set up it's literally just a matter of minutes to run payroll each time. You also get email reminders which is helpful. There are premium features available for companies with larger/more robust needs, and I would definitely recommend looking into this software if you are searching for a user friendly payroll solution
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    Paychex Inc.
    • It provides a well account of Retirement Plan Account Information.
    • Alerts are sent to email when there is new information to access.
    • Employee access both online and thru app.
    • Paperless options.
    • Easy and quick access to paystubs and tax forms.
    • Easy employee retirement management.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Wave
    • An intuitive, clear UI helps you know where everything is, what options are at your disposal. Calendars and timelines show that Wave really thought out how to provide you with useful tool.
    • Pay day can be automated and straightforward.
    • Wave onboarding provides guidance at what information to input next until you are all set up.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    Paychex Inc.
    • I understand logging you out is a security function, but I'd prefer it not to log you out so soon.
    • The training we received for the team's meeting was subpar, in my opinion. Probably better geared for people with little to no computer experience. Very slow pace; we could have easily received all of this from some tutorials in a few minutes.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Wave
    • Implement an employee time clock option through a separate link which automatically applies to the weekly time sheets.
    • Option to further customize payroll statements
    • Add a per employee payroll dashboard with the option to review rolling, quarterly, and weekly snapshot. Info to include gross pay, employer paid tax, employee paid tax, etc...
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Paychex Inc.
    Overall I like the features that Paychex Flex offers. I am sure that there are other features that I am unaware of, so I am excited to see if there is more that Flex is capable of to make my job easier. The basic features are really user friendly and easy to access. If there ever is an issue customer service is great
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Wave
    No answers on this topic
    Usability
    Paychex Inc.
    Once you are set up in the system, it is very user-friendly and usability is on par with my expectations. Onboarding new employees is simple, employee access is simple and easy for them to use. Tax documentation, reporting, and entering payroll is easy and user-friendly. Running reports and finding information necessary to keep the flow moving foward is easy to do
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Wave
    Very simple & straightforward system to learn and when time is always of the essence the efficiency is much appreciated
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    Paychex Inc.
    We have not experienced any difficulties with unplanned outages. Notifications are always made for outages, and they do not effect normal business operations.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Wave
    No answers on this topic
    Performance
    Paychex Inc.
    Unless there is lag time within the internet, the Paychex Flex website loads exceptional fast, pages load quickly and reports that I need to print or download load quickly. If I need to create a specialized report, once I complete it I receive an e-mail telling me my report is ready to be downloaded. Changing between web pages is fast as well.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Wave
    No answers on this topic
    Support Rating
    Paychex Inc.
    The dedicated support we are given is good and very responsive. If there is a change to the dedicated support, we are notified quickly and have temporary support in place while we wait for our new rep. The phone support is knowledgeable and quick to help if there is an immediate need. However, the chat support can be the slowest option and doesn't always launch so I rarely use it.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Wave
    Quick response times, personalized service. They offer in-depth videos and guides for helping to get set up. Any time I have a question about taxes or reporting, they answer quickly and give comprehensive answers. Members of the team with whom I've interacted have been courteous, friendly, and helpful. Overall, great support.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    In-Person Training
    Paychex Inc.
    We did online training only
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Wave
    No answers on this topic
    Online Training
    Paychex Inc.
    It was easy to understand and follow along. I do like the informational videos that we can utilize before we opt to call in for customer service support. It has made a difference since sometimes that resolves the issue I may have had and saved myself a phone call to Paychex support.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Wave
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation Rating
    Paychex Inc.
    Implementation was very smooth. The most cumbersome task was entering the current employees into the system during initial set up, but Paychex staff handled most of that and verified against prior system reports as well as internal reports provided to ensure 100% accuracy.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Wave
    No answers on this topic
    Alternatives Considered
    Paychex Inc.
    In addition to the ones listed above, we also used BenePay, a local payroll company. We found Paychex Flex priced in the middle, with ADP the most expensive and too complicated, with many features that were unnecessary for us. We found that Paychex Flex's features and reporting to be sized right for our size (around 30 employees). Paychex Flex also offered a very reasonable service to apply for the ERTC
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Wave
    First is the cost. Since QuickBooks removed the inhouse solution and moved everything to the cloud, the cost for a small business is prohibited. Wave is reasonable in cost. Support for QB isn't great they are always trying to upsell and commit. Wave support in comparison is 100% better, and most of the answers are in their manual
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Scalability
    Paychex Inc.
    I generally do payroll at the office, however I have had to go remote due to internet issues and also had to take payroll on vacation with me. Very easy to log in wherever you are and manage your TAA and payroll
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Wave
    No answers on this topic
    Return on Investment
    Paychex Inc.
    • With Paychex Flex we have been able to improve our compliance with required documentation for new/rehires
    • Moving everyone to direct deposit and mobile clock in/out eliminated lines at punching stations and paycheck pickup stations
    • Lost checks is a thing of the past
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Wave
    • Peace of mind that all the payroll tax-related stuff is taken care of accurately and on time.
    • Easy to use interface saves time and helps ensure I am paid on time.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    Paychex Screenshots

    Screenshot of Paychex Payroll DashboardScreenshot of Employee Background ChecksScreenshot of Paychex HR DashboardScreenshot of Paychex Flex Perks